The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-25
BETSY AT THE FAIR.
The Crowds Strolling About in
the Rain.
SCENES DURING THE GREAT CRUSH.

fell yistiddy or how many folks was here in
Atanty as to try to tell you what all l seed
and hearn at the exposition.
The weather last week was so pretty, put mo
in mind of Indian summer when the tarripins
all gifts out on q log to sun theyselves, and
it was the occasion of powerful sight of folks
gwine out, but it was too pretty to last, and
ON a Monday it sot into rainin'. We seed
more fine silk dresses and hats and things
drenched in that rain as a little looks strange
how smart folks will put on the best they got
and git it ruint at SIGH place as that. Our
gang had on the best we had, but we never said
nothin about it and no body never knowed it.
The feathers i'll Cindy Roberson's hat made
her look like a frizzled chicken under the
drip. They was sot up high in front on ac-
count of the fashion, and the wind bowed 'em
ng-side-out ards, and they dript in red
streaks all over her face. You'd q thought
she'd been in fight; her own nanny
wouldn't er knowed her.
| visit you could er saw one of them high
falutin Talladegy gals, she had red bird with
q green tail, she give five dollars for it, sot high
up ON her Sunday hat, and helt her head high
as a bantum chicken, till about hour after
the rain sot i'll the birds head drapt off, and it
wasn't long till the green tail was gone, and
Their WASH nothin left of that five dollar bird
but a little red chicken feather She lowed
her feathers had fell and she was agwine
home and off she put that very night. never
waited to see the president nor his wife nor
none of his kin. All our gang was drabbled
in mud knee deep, kase we walked out thar
and back. That night we washed out our
coat-tails and hung EN- to the fire, and wore
en- next day rough dried kase we didn't
have no moro clothes with us.
her coat black as ink, and Liz Hasher's red
kaliker frock faded in streaks and run into
the white braid, and we was all plum sights.
But we taken it jolly. One Of the Thatch-
l., l. Ill., l.,Is
tuck on powerful and had all her crowd n
huntin' for it.
MIR. Tumipseed ho aimed to go home n
Tuesday night after he seed the president, but
he staid to have his pictur struck
for Cousin Pink long as tother
one got ruint with the cologne.
He left his overcoat at his boardin' house q
Monday, and when he went back for it, he
couldn't find the house and had to git Cap to
go after it for him,
Pap he lost his hat in the crowd and had to
tie his head up in his bandanny handkerchief
tel he got to town. But laws, nothin can't set
pap back.
We seed heap on Monday in spite of the
rain. We went through the main buildin'
whar they got little of ever thing. The folks
was as big shoY as anything else gain
around with Their necks stretched. Some was
dartin from one thing to tother not seein of
nothin good. We taken il sorter slow, and
went up stars fust and looked ut the pctur's
Folks most went wild over Geo. L.
Seiney's kase they was the finest
thar You cant tell no body
how pictur' looks you got to see it for
yourself. Hal Morrisons was mighty good
Mrs. Gregory had some fine ones up thar, one
of Bill Arp locked like he was a fixin' of his
mouth to tell u joke. Them Niger pictures of
w. A. Walkers was good-and Twas powerful
proud to see all them fine pictures that John
MUM on some Of 'em. i could or
stood and looked at pictur's
all day but Caledony she was
a talin of fit to see the crazy quilts, and
| they had enough of 'em than to run u body
| distracted Some of 'em was the prettiest /
ever seed. They had some kaliller ones, too,
| and Caledony lowed, Betsy, ourn at home
| is heap prettier'n arm here. If ] had my
wheel of Fortune and Pride and Glory OF
the South, they would git the blue ribbin head
| and shoulders over air quilt here"
! 1t was hard to get Caledony away from them
| knit lace and embroidery and crochet things
| she'd been up thar tel yit If Cousin Pink
hadn't told her to come on down stairs to wbar
they give away coffee. Cal she'd drink one
cup-Gt helt about two thimbles fulL--and go
off and come back and make the man think
she was somebody else and git another cup.
WHY q Green, they give away buck wheat
cakes. Cal done them the same way and never
had to buy no dinner-'lowed she
was like old Miss Slack, she
wasn't gwine to pay for nothin' when she
could git it free. They give away lots OF
things; sody, face powder, cotton seed, all
sorter pretty pictur's and fans, and we'uns had
our arms chock full. Cousin Pink she was n
holdin' of all our fans one time and tuck Il seat
by herself to wait for us, and she lowed ever
body come along hclt out they hand for % fan,
thought she was the gal that was q giyn' of
'em away. Cal says she seen oman
go up and grab whole hand
full of cards-thought she was
gittin' of some pretty picturs and they never
had no picturs on 'em. She had a paper bag
full Of sody and picturs and things that was
Civ TO her, and the bag busted and split 'em
all n the mud and rain. She had two balloons,
a ried'n and blue n tied to her sailiD' high
I over her head
Mol Freshours was plum greedy about gittin'
| fans and picturs and things and lowed: 81
| bet if | come here agin [ fetch along pillar
slip Or somen to tote all my things IN"
| know in reason her and Liz flasher and
| Becky Jane Rountree had Eody enough If twas
| sold to pay they way into the exposition. We
got tired totin OF our n and give 1t all to them
1T was hard to keep our crowd together some
wanted to see one thing and some tOther
We all went around and seed Miss Annie Den
mis- from Tolberton, Ga. and she showed rs her
things, over three hundred varieties Of fruits
and vegetables that she put up herself Teamed,
crystalized and eyaporated, and her jcllies and
pickles and homemade crackers couldn't be
beat. We tasted her crystaliZcd figs, the best
things you ever seed, and she had fine embr0i-
dcries and paintings, and Cal she
Putnam county, Georgia, had more different
kind of things as any We seed ever thing that
grows from acorn and dshrag gourd up to
eighty-fyc kinds OF trees, and one hundyed and
siXty-liye kinds of roots and barlks for medi-
cines, and Cal she lowed old Miss Green would
or took JENNY fit over all them "yarbs"
Floyd county had lots Of fine things and
they was all showed off pretty. Rome sent Il
heap, and everybody says it will git the pre-
mium
tell you the fac' we seed SO much and
went so fast from ono thing to tother to try
and see il all and get the worth Of our money
that we can't hardly tell you what county nor
state n0thin' was in. ky Robertson said no
felt at home when lac seed that possum in the
'simmon tree in Sumter county
Becky Jane ROuntree lowed It made her
feel homesick 10 see all them big fat gourds
and sweet Eaters and turnips and pump
kins-but she can't tell you right
now whar none Of en- growed.
We was a loolsin at the things from Tallapoosy
and Becky Jane she looked mp and aXed,
"what is that thing a hanRn up thar" IL was
a great big round gourd painted with gold aud
Mr.. Adair he most died a aughin kase she
come from Alabamy and didn't know what
"fat-gOurd" was
The biggest part Of our crowd come TO see
the president and wasn't thinltin about no
COurds nor nuthin'